Bahrain: Illegal Civilian Parking Near Bus Stops Increases Accidents

Illegal civilian parking at bus stops designated for Red Buses, have forced drivers to halt the bus mid-road for boarding and de-boarding passengers which causes one accident per week.

In addition, this risks the safety of the commuters and often causes accidents and damages. Bus drivers have expressed concern with regard to the safety of the passengers who are forced to manoeuvre through the hindrance to board and deboard.

“Drivers complain that cars parked at bus stops make it very difficult for them to pick up and drop off passengers safely, and they have to stop on the road, instead of designated areas. When this happens the vehicles behind them beep their horns, at times leading to verbal arguments with the bus driver.

“If the bus stop is partly blocked and the driver tries to get into the area that is available, chances of accidents are high,” stated a spokesperson.

“It is a big problem for the elderly or disabled passengers or those with small children as they have to walk into the road and climb into the bus which can be difficult or impossible if they are in a wheelchair,” he added.

Red Bus has approached the concerned ministries to find a solution and ensure the offenders are caught and dealt with accordingly.

We have suggested to install ANPR CCTV cameras at the bus stops to automatically catch car drivers who park illegally. This would also generate revenue for the Government to reinvest in transport infrastructure,” he added.

Unauthorised civilian parking has been a lingering issue faced by the current as well as the previous public transport company in the Kingdom.